For Billionaire Glenn Dubin, Rough Run Keeps Getting Rougher

For Billionaire Glenn Dubin, Rough Run Keeps Getting Rougher

NEW YORK (Capital Markets in Africa) – These are uneasy times for hedge fund billionaire Glenn Dubin. His latest investment firm, the $1 billion Engineers Gate, has struggled to keep up with the market since its founding in 2014. Then in August, a bombshell hit: the money manager and his wife were very publicly drawn into the scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. Now, a toxic mix of lackluster investment returns, a restive key client and unwanted notoriety has…

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Johnson’s Brexit Plan Faces Doubters in Brussels and Westminster

Johnson’s Brexit Plan Faces Doubters in Brussels and Westminster

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The British prime minister is optimistic he’s finally got enough support from Tory hardliners to win the backing of lawmakers in Westminster. In Brussels, however, officials said Johnson’s proposals are still unacceptable and there’s little chance of a deal by Oct. 31 unless the U.K. makes significant additional concessions. The EU’s base case is now that Brexit has to be delayed again, even though Johnson has vowed not to…

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Mobile Money Revolution in Africa Bypasses Most-Populous Nation

Mobile Money Revolution in Africa Bypasses Most-Populous Nation

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria is a laggard in a region that accounts for half of the world’s 866 million mobile banking and payment accounts. Every month, Ifeyinwa Abel, the secretary of a Pentecostal church in Lagos, spends as much as a quarter of her salary sending money to pay for diabetes drugs to her mother 430 miles away in Abia Ohafia, a small agricultural village. It isn’t easy. First Abel, 35, has…

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Zambia’s $515 Million Mystery Revenue Raises Budget Questions

Zambia’s $515 Million Mystery Revenue Raises Budget Questions

LUSAKA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Zambian Finance Minister Bwalya Ng’andu plans to obtain almost 10% of the southern African nation’s total income next year from undisclosed sources, raising concerns about the accuracy and sustainability of government spending plans for 2020. The budget, which Ng’andu presented to lawmakers on Sept. 27, contains 6.75 billion kwacha ($515 million) of “exceptional revenue” that could further stretch the finances of Africa’s second-biggest copper producer if it doesn’t materialize. Government debt has…

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African Energy Chamber Opens Applications for 2020 Africa Energy Fellowship Program

African Energy Chamber Opens Applications for 2020 Africa Energy Fellowship Program

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – In order to provide young energy professionals with the tools and experience to become future leaders across the industry, the African Energy Chamber is launching its first Fellowship Program in 2020. Applications are open throughout October 2019, for a one-year program that will start in January 2020. In line with its growing international cooperation, the African Energy Chamber will be welcoming young professionals from across Africa, North and South…

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South Africa’s Risk Premium Limits Room for Rate Cuts, SARB Says

South Africa’s Risk Premium Limits Room for Rate Cuts, SARB Says

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – The South African Reserve Bank’s ability to cut interest rates to boost the economy is limited by political and policy uncertainty and inflation that’s still not sufficiently anchored at the midpoint of its target range. Investors pay a premium for South African debt to compensate for the risk of holding it and this constrains monetary policy by raising the interest rate needed to stabilize inflation, the central bank said…

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Platinum Is a Cash Cow for Miners, But Dividends Remain Elusive

Platinum Is a Cash Cow for Miners, But Dividends Remain Elusive

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Platinum miners have finally hit pay dirt with soaring prices and a weak South African rand. But the mood in the industry has been scarred by years of deep losses. Even though analysts say companies like Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. and Sibanye Gold Ltd. will reap their best profits in years, executives are cautious about restarting dividends. Labor disputes, currency volatility and the need to reduce debt levels are some of the reasons…

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